Earlier this week I read some Ehellion posts about saving vegetable scraps in the freezer until there is enough to make a stock.

I love the idea and have started my vegetable scrap container with some carrot and potato peelings and also the woody ends of asparagus stalks. I'm trying to train myself to toss scraps in my freezer instead of the waste bin.

Last night I was making a salad and wondered - can I put cucumber peelings and the outer wilted leaves of lettuce in the stock? Is there anything I shouldn't put in the stock?

I believe that was my suggestion from a previous thread. Yes, you can use all veggie peelings. The only thing I don't use is potatoes or their peels b/c they are too starchy. You can if you want, but I didn't like the stock with them. I use cuke, zucchini and carrot peels. Left over bag salad that is about to go off. I even put the stem from the red / green pepper in with the inside seeds.

I completely disagree with Ms. Cellany. I throw all that stuff into my veggies stock. That is what makes it so flavourful. I throw in lettuce, asparagus bottoms. Ms. Cellany.. are you confused about soup vs stock? At any rate I have been making my stock like this for years, I save all the scraps of evertything and my stock is delicious.

I even throw in the hard bottom of the celery stock as well as the leafy things on the tops and cabbage, even purple cabbage and spinach leaves. I have thrown in brussel sprouts too. All the flavours blend very well and besides, all these veggies will be strained out in the end as that is the purpose of stock - to pull the flavour from the veggies. If you use spinach leaves, your stock will be darker and it is FABULOUS for stew. Add some garlic too if you like it..

Don't forget to use the onion skins.. they give the stock a nice golden colour and throw in a couple chopped fresh onions.

Once everything is strained, place the stock in separate containers and freeze. I use 2 cup lock and locks. Then when a recipe calls for water or chix stock, I use my veggie stock. I sometimes dilute it with one cup water to 2 cups stock if it is especially concentrated. But all in all you can use all and any veggies for it.. that is what makes the tasty stock.

When making soup with the stock, you would add all fresh veggies and this is when I wouldn't use scraps. I use chopped fresh veggies like carrots, celery, zucchini etc.

I use things like the end of broccoli heads, or cabbage bits if I'm making a fairly robust stock, and I don't use too much of it. I add asparagus ends as well. It depends a lot on personal preference, and balance. I find that a single strong ingredient tends to dominate, but a couple of them will balance each other out.

Anything onion related is good, as are celery leaves and ends, carrot peelings and tops, and anything mushroom related. If you use dried mushrooms, save the soaking liquid for stock.

Tomato seeds and skins are good. I also save the leftover juice when I don't use it from a can of tomatoes, for use in soups, although you can add that as you make the soup. Tomato and mushrooms are both good if you want a fairly rich stock.

If you cook beans from dried, save some of the cooking broth to add to make a substantial broth.

Veggie broth also takes much less time than stock from meat - an hour from start to finish is plenty of time, and you can use less.

I completely disagree with Ms. Cellany. I throw all that stuff into my veggies stock. That is what makes it so flavourful. I throw in lettuce, asparagus bottoms. Ms. Cellany.. are you confused about soup vs stock? At any rate I have been making my stock like this for years, I save all the scraps of everything and my stock is delicious.

I like stock to be neutral-flavored, because I use it in so many types of things. If I'm making egg-drop soup, I don't want heavy tones to it. I've had some stocks come out pretty robust; I label those so I know to use them in heartier stews.

I use everything in my scrap stock. Onion tops & skins, garlic ends & skins, celery, carrot ends & peels, carrot greens, kale stems, beet ends & peels (ooooh what a color it makes the stock!), pepper guts & stems, apple cores, pineapple cores, lemon and orange peels (Make sure with stuiff like this that you wash your fruit first!), jalapeno guts (mmmmmm spicy!), broccoli stem bits, tomato parts, really just about any fruit or veggie bit. I certainly would use salad greens if I had them to add. Same with potato (but I don't ever have that - I use every bit of potatoes - I never peel them, that's where all their nutrients are!) I also generally throw a bay leaf into the concoction while its simmering.

Now obviously I don't have everything at once, but I like that - I like that my stock is never the same twice. I also end up feeling like I'm getting a more rounded diet by doing so - beets aren't in season year round, but my stock is always a month or three behind season, so even though I might not be eating beets that month, its good to know I am still getting some of the nutrients from it.

Experimentation is key! I don't ever use the same veggies twice. It all depends on season and what I have. What's great about veggie stock vs. chix/turkey is no fat and no fat to skim. Much easier and less messy to make.

I am so excited! I am fortunate to live in Florida where we have long growing seasons, and there is a terrific produce market less than three miles away, so my diet tends to be about 80% vegetarian. I filled my vegetable scrap bag (over a gallon) very quickly.

I made my stock today and it is so delicious! I have 5 containers (each about 2.5 cups) in the freezer. My scraps consisted of carrots, onions, asparagus, brussels sprouts, lettuce, tomato, celery, broccoli, cucumbers, green peppers, jalapenos, beets, potatoes, green beans. The only things that weren't scraps were 2 whole carrots and a Spanish onion, some fresh oregano, thyme and bay leaf.

When I first put it all in the stock pot and it started boiling, the water turned an amazing bright red from the beet peels. I thought - oh no, my navy bean soup is going to be pink! But after simmering for about an hour, the broth turned a deep rich brown that looks so appetizing.

With this batch, I plan to make vegetable gravy, a navy bean soup, and a vegetable chili. I could just cry thinking about all the peelings I've thrown away over the years.

So... Sparksals, Ms_Cellany, and everyone else here at EH - a very sincere thank you for all the fabulous ideas and suggestions.

In this case, I think the colour of the stock would make a difference. One time, I added spinach to my veggie stock and didn't realize it would darken the colour immensely. I can't use it for chix or light coloured soups, but it works great for beef based food. So, you can still have a robust flavoured stock for butternut squash soup, you just have to watch the colours of the items you use in it. I don't think Butternut squash soup would be too appetizing a browny green colour, KWIM? I wouldn't use anything dark green like spinach or beet greens or beets which would turn it a pink colour depending on how much.

So in my fridge right now, I have a cabbage that has been there a while, some celery that I could cut the bottom off of and use the heart pieces, carrot peelings when I cook the carrots, a green pepper that is getting old and some onion.

So I just chunk all this up, add water to completely cover and boil for an hour? Then strain out the chunks and voila! Veggie stock.

(I may end up with some lettuce I could probably throw in but I should skip the spinach?)

What do you think about adding some apple peelings for some sweetness? I have a bunch of apples from the farm that I need to peel and cut up for the freezer or make applesauce out of.

Logged

After cleaning out my Dad's house, I have this advice: If you haven't used it in a year, throw it out!!!!.